January 2022
Featured in this insight: Water
Four in 10 UK adults are not aware of the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain the water pipes: A recent survey by Water UK has revealed that 40% of Brits are not aware that the homeowner is responsible for the upkeep of their water pipes. Furthermore, 22% of those polled said they do not protect their pipes with the recommended measures, when the weather gets colder.
The study polled over 2,000 UK adults at the end of November 2021, and aimed to find out how prepared the British public are for winter.
When asked about what measures they do take to protect their house against cold weather, 55% said they get their boiler serviced in preparation. In addition, 44% said they bleed the radiators in their house to ensure they work as efficiently as they should.
Regulation of temperature, however, is not the only issue faced by homeowners during winter, with gutters and drains often getting blocked. A third of those surveyed stated that they clean their gutters in preparation for the colder spell, with a further 18% saying they lag their pipes.
The survey also uncovered than more than half the respondents polled (53%) had not heard of freeze-thawing in pipes, while a third of participants stated that they would not be able to locate their stop tap in an emergency.
Also revealed by the research, was that nearly a quarter of people (23%) have their boiler serviced less frequently than once a year.
Will Lang, head of Civil Contingencies at the Met Office, said: “Whatever the outlook for winter each year, there can always be periods of warmer or colder weather as well as wetter and drier weather. This variability makes it really important to take some simple steps to prepare our homes and businesses for whatever the weather may bring so we don’t get caught out.”
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